Hitherto, as a recording medium for a recording and/or reproducing apparatus such as a tape recorder or a video tape recorder, etc., a tape cartridge adapted so that a magnetic tape is accommodated within the cartridge body is used.
In the tape cartridge of this kind, tape cartridges within which a magnetic tape of which tape width is caused to be 8 mm is accommodated have been widely used. In such tape cartridges, tape cartridges used as a recording medium of a recording and/or reproducing apparatus used as an external unit of information processing equipment such as computer and used for exclusively recording data signals such as computer data, etc. which are digital signals, and tape cartridges used as a recording medium of video tape recorder and used for exclusively recording video signals or speech signals have been provided. The tape cartridge used for recording data signals and the tape cartridge used for recording video signals or speech signals are caused to be of the structure in which magnetic tapes of which tape widths are caused to be 8 mm are respectively accommodated within cartridge bodies caused to be in correspondence with each other in the dimensions and substantially common in the external shape. For this reason, it is extremely difficult to discriminate between the tape cartridge used for recording data signals and the tape cartridge used for recording video signals or speech signals by visual observation.
Meanwhile, magnetic tapes accommodated within the tape cartridge used for recording data signals and the tape cartridge used for recording video signals or speech signals are different from each other in the specification such as magnetic medium used, etc. Namely, the magnetic tape used in the tape cartridge for recording data signals has large recording capacity as compared to the magnetic tape used in the tape cartridge for recording video signals and speech signals, and is also required to guarantee large error rate with respect to data signals to be recorded. For this reason, in the case where the tape cartridge for recording video signals or speech signals is erroneously loaded into the recording and/or reproducing unit of the information processing equipment so that it is used as the tape cartridge for recording data signals, there might take place inconveniences such that, because of insufficient recording capacity, a necessary data signal fails to be recorded, or is missing.
In view of the above, as the tape cartridge within which the magnetic tape of which tape width is caused to be 8 mm is accommodated, there are used tape cartridges provided with discrimination holes indicating the specification of a magnetic tape accommodated within the cartridge body or right or wrong state of recording of information signals with respect to the magnetic tape.
As shown in FIG. 1, this tape cartridge 1 includes a cartridge body 4 in which a pair of upper and lower halves 2, 3 are butt-joined (connected), and is adapted to rotatably support a pair of tape reels 5, 6 within the cartridge body 4. Between these tape reels 5, 6, a magnetic tape 7 is wound. This magnetic tape 7 is drawn out toward the external of the cartridge body 4 through opening portions 8, 9 for drawing the tape provided on both sides of the front side of the cartridge body 4, and is caused to undergo traveling operation across the pair of tape reels 5, 6.
At the front side of the cartridge body 4, a front cover 10 which covers the magnetic tape 7 drawn out toward the front side of the cartridge body 4 is rotatably attached.
Moreover, at the bottom surface side of the cartridge body 4, as shown in FIG. 2, there are provided reel drive shaft insertion holes 11, 12 adapted to face hub portions 5a, 6a provided at the central portions of the tape reels 5, 6 toward the external, and through which reel drive shafts engaged with the hub portions 5a, 6a to allow the tape reels 5, 6 to undergo rotational operation are respectively inserted. Further, at the bottom surface side of the cartridge body 4 and on both sides of the back (face) side opposite to the front side where the front cover 10 is attached, there are provided positioning holes 13, 14 adapted so that when the tape cartridge 1 is loaded into the recording and/or reproducing apparatus (unit), positioning pins provided at the unit side are engaged therewith to carry out positioning of the cartridge body 4.
Further, at the bottom surface side of the cartridge body 4 and at one corner portion of the back side close to the positioning holes 13, 14, two tape specification discrimination holes 15 indicating the specification such as thickness or kind, etc. of the magnetic tape 7 accommodated within the tape cartridge 1 and a single erroneous recording prevention hole 16 are provided. Moreover, at the other corner portion, three tape specification discrimination holes 15 (in total) are provided in place of the provision of the erroneous recording prevention hole 16. These tape specification discrimination holes 15 and the erroneous recording prevention hole 16 respectively indicate the specification of the magnetic tape 7 and right or wrong state of recording of information signal onto the magnetic tape 7 in dependency upon opened or closed state.
The positioning holes 13, 14, the tape specification discrimination holes 15 and the erroneous recording prevention hole 16 are provided in the state positioned at the outer circumferential side of the tape reels 5, 6 accommodated within the cartridge body 4. Among these holes, the tape specification discrimination holes 15 and the erroneous recording prevention hole 16 are provided in the state positioned at the back side of the cartridge body 4 relative to the line L.sub.1 connecting centers of the positioning holes 13, 14 provided on the both sides of the cartridge body 4. In addition, the three tape specification discrimination holes 15 provided at the other corner portion are provided in a manner arranged so as to take a triangle shape as shown in FIG. 3.
Meanwhile, the above-described tape cartridge 1 is adapted so that when loaded into the recording and/or reproducing unit, the opened or closed states of the tape specification discrimination holes 15 and the erroneous recording prevention hole 16 are detected by a detecting switch provided at the unit side, whereby detection as to whether or not the specification of the magnetic tape 7 and the loaded tape cartridge 1 are placed in the recordable state is carried out. For this reason, there is the problem that since as long as the tape cartridge 1 is not loaded at a predetermined loading position of the recording and/or reproducing unit, detections of the specification of the magnetic tape 7 and/or right or wrong state of recording of information signals are not carried out, it is difficult or impossible to immediately load a tape cartridge adapted to the recording and/or reproducing unit.
Moreover, since the above-described tape cartridge 1 is adapted to indicate information of the specification of the magnetic tape 7 and/or right or wrong state of recording of information signal by the holes provided at the cartridge body 4, it is difficult to provide (holes for) a larger number of discrimination information. In view of the above, in the tape cartridge 1 of this kind, the content of the information signal recorded on the magnetic tape 7 is described on label, etc. stuck on the cartridge body 4. However, also with respect to such a label, because of limitation in size (dimensions), it is difficult to describe a large quantity of information. Further, with respect to the tape cartridge where information signals which require secrecy are recorded, it is impossible to describe its content on the label. In the case of such a method using label, e.g., in the case where a large number of tape cartridges are accommodated within a rack unit, etc. to take out a necessary tape cartridge from those cartridges, an operation to take out tape cartridges, one by one, every time from the rack unit to confirm (the description of) the label is required. In addition, with respect to the tape cartridge in which the content described is unable to be read as the result of the fact that the label is separated (peeled) off or is soiled, or the tape cartridge of which content is not described, it is required to load corresponding cartridge into the recording and/or reproducing unit to carry out reproducing operation every time to confirm it. This is extremely troublesome.
As a tape cartridge which has solved such problems, as disclosed in the Japanese Patent Application Laid Open No. 74880/1981, a tape cartridge provided with an auxiliary memory unit including memory element constituted with integrated circuit element which permits recording of information signals within the cartridge body has been proposed. This tape cartridge in which such memory element is mounted (assembled) is constituted so that discrimination information which are various information, e.g., specification, use state or recording position of the magnetic tape, or the content of recorded information signal etc. are stored into the memory element.
When this tape cartridge is loaded into the recording and/or reproducing unit (apparatus), discrimination information stored in the memory element is read by the auxiliary recording/reproduction unit prior to the loading operation of the magnetic tape, and new discrimination information is stored into the memory element by the auxiliary recording/reproduction unit when the recording/reproduction operation is completed. Accordingly, in accordance with the tape cartridge, various discrimination information are utilized, thereby making it possible to greatly widen the use range of the tape cartridge. In addition, this is extremely advantageous in the case of handling a large number of tape cartridges.
For example, the tape cartridge in which the memory element is mounted (assembled) is adapted so that in the case where the above-described recording and/or reproducing apparatus provided with the rack unit is used to carry out recording and/or reproduction of information signals, or the like, necessary discrimination information can be obtained with ease from the memory element without carrying out loading operation of the magnetic tape every time. Accordingly, reduction of the retrieval time, etc. can be realized. This is extremely advantageous.
Meanwhile, since the memory element constituting the auxiliary memory unit is disposed within the cartridge body, it is impossible to confirm it by visual observation. Moreover, various memory elements may be used in dependency upon the specification of the tape cartridge as the memory element disposed within the cartridge body. As stated above, since it is impossible to confirm the memory element disposed within the cartridge by visual observation, even if no memory element is attached, or any memory element different in the memory capacity or the kind from a predetermined memory element is disposed, it is extremely difficult to discriminate it. Further, when the tape cartridge is loaded into the recording and/or reproducing apparatus provided with dedicated auxiliary recording/reproduction unit corresponding to the individual specification in the state where no memory element is attached, or in the state where memory element different in the memory capacity or the kind is attached, there may result an erroneous operation such that any missing (in information) takes place in the recording and/or reproducing operations of information signals with respect to the memory element.
Moreover, in the case of the tape cartridge in which the auxiliary memory unit including memory element is mounted (assembled), in carrying out reproduction of discrimination information stored in the memory element or storage of discrimination information into the memory element, electrical connection to the auxiliary recording/reproduction unit side is required. For this reason, in the tape cartridge, contact terminals connected to the memory element are provided at the cartridge body. Thus, in the state where the tape cartridge is loaded in the recording and/or reproducing apparatus, the terminal members of the auxiliary recording/reproduction unit are connected to these contact terminals so that input/output of discrimination information is carried out.
When a tape cartridge as described above provided with no contact terminal is erroneously loaded into the recording and/or reproducing apparatus using such tape cartridge provided with contact terminals as the recording medium, there is the possibility that a portion of the tape cartridge may collide with (against) the auxiliary recording/reproduction unit so that connector and/or connection terminals constituting the auxiliary recording/reproduction unit are broken.
In the tape cartridge in which the auxiliary memory unit is mounted (assembled), when the contact terminals of the memory element are placed in the state exposed to the outside of the cartridge body, dust, etc. is adhered. As a result, such contact terminals are soiled. Further, there are instances where there takes place inconvenience such that unsatisfactory contact with the terminal member of the auxiliary recording/reproduction means side takes places resulting from the fact that gold plating implemented on the surface of the contact terminal is corroded, or the like so that recording of discrimination information into the memory element or reproduction of discrimination information from the memory element is not normally carried out. Further, in the tape cartridge, there also takes place a problem such that dust, etc. is admitted from the portion where the contact terminals are disposed into the cartridge body and is attached on the magnetic tape, thus degrading the reproduction accuracy.
In addition, there is the possibility that when finger, etc. of user comes into contact with the contact terminal in the exposed state, there is the possibility that the memory element may be charged (electrified). When electrification (charged state) takes place in the memory element, there takes place an inconvenience such that recording of discrimination information or reproduction of discrimination information may not be normally carried out.